The final may not have been overly enthralling, although the last few minutes of extra time were certainly dramatic, but the 2026 World Cup was probably better than many feared when we first heard that there would be 48 nations competing. That expansion had fans concerned that the level of play would be diluted, but the extra teams only seemed to increase the passion and excitement of the tournament.
World Cup finals are rarely the best games at football’s most prestigious international event, of course. It is usually a make-or-break group game, or a high-stakes knockout clash that lives longer in the memory. Many of the best football betting sites will have had Spain as favorite to lift the trophy this year, but there were more than enough shocks and surprises to keep us all captivated throughout the tournament.
OnlineSportsBetting.net is the best place to discover those top sportsbooks, but which World Cup 2026 games will be remembered in years to come? Here are four that we thoroughly enjoyed over the last few months in North America.
Argentina 3 Cape Verde 2 (AET)
Cape Verde was arguably the most enjoyable team to watch at this summer’s World Cup finals. When the Blue Sharks somehow managed to keep Spain out and record a goalless draw in their opening game, many thought that would be the pinnacle of their tournament. But there was so much more to come.
That achievement was made even more impressive as fellow debutant Curaçao had been thrashed 7-1 by Germany just a day earlier. Cape Verde would then go on to hold Uruguay and Saudi Arabia to progress to the knockout rounds, and its reward was to face reigning champion Argentina in the round of 32.
Messi opened the scoring, but Cape Verde never looked out of it, managing to equalize and, with the help of Vozinha in goal, take Argentina to extra time. This was no boring extra 30 minutes either. Argentina eventually prevailed to win 3-2, but not before Sidny Lopes Cabral bent in arguably the goal of the tournament.
Mexico 2 England 3
Argentina and England might have been able to fill all five top games themselves, with the semifinal tie between them another one of the classics. But it was England’s game in the round of 16 that many Three Lions fans saw as proof that football might actually have had a chance of finally coming home this year.
After striding through the group stage and then overcoming DR Congo in the round of 32, England faced the daunting task of Mexico in the Azteca. The famous stadium had been a cauldron of noise up until then, and even a rain-delayed start did not dampen the enthusiasm in the stands.
Jude Bellingham’s two-minute brace saw England take control, but a Raul Jimenez penalty raised the roof once more. England had to deal with a red card before taking the lead once again through Harry Kane. Mexico then scored a second to force the Three Lions into one of the defensive displays of the tournament to ultimately see them through.
Algeria 3 Austria 3
You can see from the scorelines of the games in this list that, for all the possession play and defensive masterclasses, football fans want to see goals more than anything else. That is what gets everyone excited, and that is what Algeria and Austria served up in a group game that absolutely no one thought would be memorable.
With one game left to play and Argentina already assured a place in the round of 32, Algeria and Austria knew that a draw would more than likely be enough for them both to progress as well. Many feared a repeat of the infamous Disgrace of Gijon that affected these two teams back in 1982.
This game was much better, but still looked like heading for a mutually beneficial 2-2 as the clock ticked past the 90th minute. But then Algeria decided against just retaining possession, allowing Riyad Mahrez to score what looked like being a winner. Cue a frantic assault from Austria, and an equalizer in the sixth minute of stoppage time to provide the draw that both teams required at the start.
Belgium 3 Senegal 2
Belgium had unconvincingly topped its group, winning just one game, while Senegal had progressed as one of the best third-place teams after having to face both France and Norway in the opening phase. A meeting of these two in the round of 32 suggested a win for the African side, and with just a few minutes to go, that looked like what was about to happen.
Belgium had never really lived up to its golden generation tag, and with a number of older players set to retire, the Red Devils seemed to be about to limp out of the World Cup with just a whimper. Senegal was in complete control, and Belgium’s players were fighting amongst themselves. Then on came Romelu Lukaku.
Belgium’s attacking talisman scored with one of his first touches in the 86th minute, and then just two minutes later, captain Youri Tielemens rose to send the tie into extra time. Still, Senegal hung on until a penalty was awarded to Belgium with no time remaining after a seven-minute VAR check. Tielemens patiently waited to take the spot kick before thumping the ball into the net to break Senegalese hearts and give Belgium an improbable win.
